Line-guard for vehicle-poles



No. 622,l08. Patented Mar. 28, I899. F. M. BIRD.

LINE GUABD FOR VEHICLE POLES.

(Application filed Dec. 3, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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STATES FFICE.

PATENT FLETCHER M. BIRD, OF WENATOHEE, \VASHINGTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,108, dated March 28, 1899.

Application filed December 3,1898. Serial No. 698,170. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLETCHER M. BIRD, of Venatchee, in the county of Kittitas and State of \Vashington, have invented a new and Improved Line-Guard, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a line or rein guard for the tongue or pole of a vehicle that will effectually prevent the inside check-lines of a double harness from becoming entangled with or lodging upon-the end of the pole or tongue of the vehicle in front of the neck-yoke ring.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the guard that it may be permanently secured to the pole or tongue in such manner that it will not interfere with the hitching or unhitching of the neck-yoke, it being-possible to readily slip the neck-yoke ring on or off the tongue or pole at pleasure and to drop the pole or tongue to the ground without injuring the attachment.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an end of the pole or tongue having the improvement applied, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pole or tongue and the attachment thereto.

A represents the pole or tongue of a vehicle, provided with the usual loop 10 upon its under face, adapted to limit the rearward movement of the neck-yoke, and a forward end loop 11 at the outer end of the pole. The body of the rein-guard attachment B is preferably made of heavy spring-Wire or light rodsteel, and comprises two side sections 12 and a front connecting bow-section 13. The side sections 12 are preferably flattened at their rear ends and are secured to the pole or tongue by means of a bolt 15 or its equivalent, and the side portions of the body of the attachment are carried downward and laterally outward from their attachment to the pole or tongue to such an extent that the said side sections are considerably below the lower face of the pole or tongue and extend laterally beyond the plane of its side surfaces. The side sections 12 are, furthermore, more or less concaved on the top and are particularly curved upward at their front ends or where they are connected by the bow-section 13, and normally the bow or connecting section 13 of the body is in engagement with the front loop 11 on the tongue or pole. Braces 16 are formed integrally with the side sections 12 at or near their centers or attached thereto, and the braces 16 extend upwardly and in direction of each other to an engagement with opposite sides of the pole or tongue A, being secured to the latter by bolts 17 or like devices. In plan View the rein-guard attachment is substantially of oval formation, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the said inner check-reins, by reason of the downward slant of the guard at its sides and the upward curvature of the guard at the front, are effectually prevented from becoming entangled with or lodging upon the front end of the pole.

The bowed portion 13 of the rein-guard attachment being formed of resilient material,

it is evident that it may be pressed down into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thus permit the neck-yoke ringto be freely placed upon the end of the pole A, the rearward movement of said neck-yoke being arrested by its impinge upon the check-loop 10 and its forward movement being limited by the bowed portion 13, which springs back into normal position, as shown in Fig. 1,when the bowed portion is released from pressure.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent" 1. The combination, with the tongue or pole of a vehicle, of a rein-guard located at each side of the pole or tongue, and extending forwardly, the forward end of the guard trending across the forward end of the pole with an upward inclination, as described.

2. The combination, with the tongue or pole of a vehicle, of a line-guard located at each side of the pole or tongue, extending to a point below and beyond the pole or tongue, the forward end of the guard extending across the forward end of the pole with an upward inclination, as described.

- 3. The combinatiomwith avehicle pole or tongue, of a rein-guard constructed of a spring material, the rein-guard being attached at its rear ends to the pole or tongue and carried along the sides thereof to the front, the side portions of the guard extending below and laterally beyond the sides of the pole or tongue, the forward end of the said guard being upwardly curved and arranged for a -resilient engagement with the forward portion of the tongue or pole, for the purpose described.

i. The combination, with a vehicle tongue or pole, of a rein-guard ellipticalin plan view, the rein-guard being constructed of one piece of a spring material, the rear portions of said guard being secured to opposite sides of the pole or tongue, the sides being given a downward and an outward inclination and a concaved upper surface, the forward end of the guard being in the form of an upwardly-inclined bowadapted for a resilient engagement with the forward end of the tongue or pole, as described.

5. The combination, with a vehicle tongue or pole, of a rein-guard elliptical in plan View, the rein-guard being constructed of one piece of spring material, the rear portions of the guard being secured to opposite sides of the pole or tongue, the sides being given a downward and outward inclination andaconcaved upper surface, the forward end of the guard being in the form of an upwardly-inclined bow adapted for a resilient engagement with the forward end of the tongue or pole, braces attached to the sides of the guard, the braces having an upward, rearward and inward inclination, and means, substantially as de scribed, for attaching the braces to the tongue or pole, as set forth.

6. A rein-guard consisting of side members upturned at the front and at the rear and having an outward lateral inclination from a line drawn longitudinally between them, the side members at the front being joined, forming thereby an upwardly-inclined bow member, and means for attaching the guard to a support.

7. A rein-guard, consisting of side members upwardly curved at their forward and rear portions,and outwardlyand laterally inclined from a line drawn longitudinally between them, the side members at the front being joined and the connecting member thus formed bowed in an upward and outward direction, and braces connected with the said side members, the rear portion of the guard being arranged for attachment to a support, as described.

FLETCHER M. BIRD.

Witnesses:

W. O. PARR, W. G. PATE. 

